Verbena plant named ‘VEAZ0057’

ABSTRACT

A new  Verbena  plant named ‘VEAZ0057’ particularly distinguished by large sized flowers, of which the upper 2 petals are red colored and the lower 3 are pink colored, dark green, undivided leaves and a semi-trailing and vigorous plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Verbenahybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘VEAZ0057’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Verbena, botanically known asVerbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘VEAZ0057’.

‘VEAZ0057’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas large sized flowers, of which the upper 2 petals are red colored andthe lower 3 are pink colored, dark green, undivided leaves and asemi-trailing and vigorous plant habit.

‘VEAZ0057’ originated from a cross made in August 2014 in a greenhousein Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. The female parent was an unpatentedpropriety plant named ‘T0975-3’ having a scarlet color and a compactplant habit. The male parent was a cloud of pollen of all material inthe insect-pollination-isolation.

Seeds of the cross were sown in March 2015 and one plant was selected inMay 2015 which became ‘VEAZ0057’.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘VEAZ0057’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated in July 2015 in a greenhouse inEnkhuizen, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in the fall of 2015, and continuing thereafter, hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor ‘VEAZ0057’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘VEAZ0057’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied for in theEuropean Union on Nov. 23, 2018, No. 2018/3070. ‘VEAZ0057’ has not beenmade publicly available prior to the effective filing date of thisapplication, notwithstanding any disclosure that may have been made lessthan one year prior to the effective filing date of this application bythe inventor or another who obtained ‘VEAZ0057’ directly from theinventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Verbena as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘VEAZ0057’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type.

The photographic drawing in FIG. 1 shows a close view of aninflorescence of the new plant, and in FIG. 2 a whole flowering plant.

The aforementioned photographs were taken in May 2018 in Andijk, TheNetherlands. The plants were about 12 weeks old and were grown in 12 cmpots.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘VEAZ0057’ AND A MOSTSIMILAR VARIETY ‘VEAZ0009’, U.S. Plant ‘VEAZ0057’ Pat. No. 23,575Branching: More branches Less branches per plant per plant Flower, size:Larger Smaller Plant, size: Larger Smaller Flowering: Less flushes Moreflushes

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Herbaceous, semi-trailing and            vigorous.        -   Plant height.—25.0 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—29.0 cm.        -   Plant width.—59.0 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate and produce roots.—11-13 days at            about 21 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 143C.        -   Immature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 137B.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 143B.        -   Mature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 137C.        -   Length.—Approximately 4.2 cm.        -   Width.—2.2-3.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Hastate.        -   Base shape.—Obtuse.        -   Apex shape.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Lobed.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Pubescent.        -   Lower surface.—Pubescent.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 144B.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 144A.        -   Pattern of veining.—Pinnate.        -   Petiole color.—RHS 144B.        -   Petiole length.—0.7 cm.        -   Petiole width.—0.45 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute.-   Stem:    -   -   Branching characteristics.—Side branches develop potentially            at each node.        -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—18-22.        -   Anthocyanin of the stem.—Absent.        -   Color of stem.—RHS 144C.        -   Stem length.—28.0-35.0 cm.        -   Stem width.—0.3 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—1.4-2.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 138C.        -   Length of peduncle.—2.4-3.2 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Glandular hairs.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Umbel-like, but actually a spike, umbrella-shaped.        -   Blooming habit.—Flowers develop continuously during the            summer months.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 3-4            days in the greenhouse.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—34-45 at various stages            at development.        -   Horizontal diameter of inflorescence.—4.2-4.7 cm.        -   Depth of inflorescence.—3.9 cm.        -   Number of florets and buds per inflorescence.—Approximately            26-33.-   Bud:    -   -   Color.—RHS N155A.        -   Length.—0.2 cm.        -   Width.—0.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Tubular with bulbous apex.-   Floret:    -   -   Form.—Sessile; salver-shaped, composed of 5 partly fused            petals with a base of a narrow tube.        -   Immature color, upper surface.—Upper 2 petals RHS 46A. Lower            3 petals from RHS 51C to RHS 54B.        -   Immature color, lower surface.—RHS N155A.        -   Mature color, upper surface.—Upper 2 petals RHS 46A. Lower 3            petals from RHS 51C to RHS 54A.        -   Mature color, lower surface.—RHS N155B.        -   Floret diameter.—5.9 cm.        -   Floret length (depth).—3.7 cm.        -   Petal length.—0.8 cm.        -   Petal width.—0.4 cm.        -   Shape.—Obcordate.        -   Apex shape.—Emarginate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Smooth.        -   Petal texture, lower surface.—Smooth.        -   Longitudinal axis of the corolla lobe.—Incurved.        -   Corolla tube length.—2.4 cm.        -   Corolla tube width.—0.3 cm.        -   Corolla tube color inside.—RHS 47B.        -   Tube color outside.—RHS 47B.        -   Corolla texture, inside.—Pubescent.        -   Corolla texture, outside.—Pubescent.        -   Eye of the corolla.—Present.        -   Diameter.—55 mm.        -   Color.—White, RHS 155 in some flowers the eye is interrupted            with a light red-purple (RHS N57B) spot or stripe.        -   Throat hair color.—RHS 155C but whiter.-   Calyx:    -   -   Type.—Five sepals whose margins are fused to each other            along their length, with a transparent membrane of less than            0.15 cm in width and with one smaller sepal attached to the            base of the calyx.        -   Color of sepals.—RHS 137C.        -   Length of sepals.—1.1 cm.        -   Width of sepals.—0.2 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Fused, linear.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Densely covered with very short glandular hair.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—        -   Pistil.—1.        -   Pistil length.—1.5 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 144C.        -   Style length.—1.6 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 143B.        -   Ovary color.—RHS 144B.        -   Ovary length.—0.15 cm.        -   Ovary width.—0.1 cm.        -   Androecium.—        -   Stamens.—Anthers and filaments fused to upper half of            corolla tube; four anthers with two pollen sacs per anther.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS 151C.        -   Filament length.—0.2 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 151C.        -   Anther length.—0.1 cm.        -   Pollen amount.—None observed.-   Fertility/seed set: Neither seed nor fruit production has been    observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Verbena has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant named‘VEAZ0057’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.